Most Young Adults Still Stay in Touch with Their Parents

【Unlocking Word Meanings】

　今日の単語・フレーズ

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article. 

1. poll [pohl] (v.) – to survey or interview people in order to determine their opinions or attitudes

Example:  The researchers polled 500 students and found that most of them were not happy about the new school uniforms.

2. whopping [HWOP-ing] (adj.)  – very large or impressive

Example: The doctor found that the patient had gained a whopping 11 kilograms in one week.

3. be partial to [bee PAHR-shuh l too] (idiom) – to strongly prefer one thing over another

Example:  Because I am partial to face-to-face communication, I make time to go out with my friends.

4. self-reliant [self-ri-LAHY-uh nt] (adj.) – relying on one’s own abilities and resources instead of getting help from other people

Example:  After leaving her parents’ house, she became very hardworking, independent, and self-reliant.

5. tether [TETH-er] (v.) – to become fastened or attached to someone or something

Example:  She was tethered with her parents’ money until she had her own job.

【Article】

　ニュース記事

Read the text below.

A vast majority of young adults between the ages of 18 and 29 maintain daily communication with their parents through telephone calls or texting, a new study has found. The study, spearheaded by James Arnett of Clark University, polled 1,000 young adults from various social, ethnic, and economic backgrounds. It aimed to find out how often young adults keep in touch with their parents. The results showed that a whopping 55% of young adults are in daily contact with their parents through phone calls or texting. And while texting is now very trendy among the youth, phone calls are still the most popular method of communication between young adults and their parents. According to the results of the poll, 73% of the parents are also partial to voice calls over texting, which is the main reason why young adults and their parents communicate through calling more than texting. Other methods of communication like email, Facebook, and Skype are also used but are far less common. According to Arnett, the fact that today’s young adults are very close to their parents is noteworthy because the same is not true among previous generations of young adults. Before, young adults were known to be more independent and self-reliant. Arnett said that this difference could be associated with the proliferation of various communication technologies. However, he believes that this difference shows that today’s young adults are still tethered to their parents, and that today’s parents are having a difficult time letting go of their growing children.

【Viewpoint Discussion】

　ディスカッションテーマ

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.  

Discussion A

·         Which do you prefer: texting or calling? What are the pros and cons of your choice?

·         What can be the disadvantages of using these media instead of face-to-face communication? Why do you say so?

Discussion B

·         In your opinion, when does adulthood begin? Explain.

·         Is it important for people to keep in touch with their parents even after becoming adults? Why or why not?

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